


A Cold Trail

by JaggedHearts



Series: Winteriron Collection [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avenger Bucky Barnes, Falling In Love, Fluff and Angst, Kidnapping, Kinda, M/M, Stockholm Syndrome, Villain Tony Stark
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 20:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18169433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaggedHearts/pseuds/JaggedHearts
Summary: Bucky had known that Iron Man was on the Avengers’ list of ‘do-not-engage’.So how he got here, he wasn’t so sure.Or,Iron Man is a villain who had an interest in Bucky Barnes.





	A Cold Trail

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a Stockholm Syndrome story where Tony would actually hurt Bucky. It turned a lot more fluffier than it was supposed to.
> 
> I hope you enjoy.

The Avengers had been working together since 2011. Bucky had only joined them two years later. When he’d gotten out of Hydra’s clutches, he hoped to live a peaceful life. That obviously didn’t happen.

Soon after his (not really) recovery, Iron Man had popped up. He’d brought a great deal of grief for the Avengers, but in Bucky’s honest opinion, it was more like a little probing. It wasn’t like he’d actually harmed anyone, except the Avengers. Any people that were supposed to be near any explosions, were actually miles from harm.

Bucky was intrigued, but that was where it was going to stay at. Or so Steve had told him.

The blond was incredible sharp when it came to Bucky’s emotions, so he’d known the minute Bucky’s little crush had started showing up. And he’d demanded that Bucky forgot this ‘dangerous and silly dream, Buck. He’s only going to hurt you.’ And as Steve had pointed out, Iron Man was on the Avengers’ list of ‘do-not-engage’.

The list was essentially made for only Iron Man. The list contained only one name and the do not engage part was mostly to not start the fight with him. (Though Steve was a hypocrite, he constantly annoyed Iron Man and attacked mostly to get the man’s attention.)

Bucky had not been attracting any attention to himself or even giving Iron Man more than a glance while fighting. So how he got chained to a wall with the armor standing next to him, he wasn’t quite aware. The last fight against Iron Man wasn’t coming to the forefront of his brain. Which only lead to more confusion.

“Shit!” the shouted curse word startled Bucky and he whipped his head towards the noise. On his left was a workbench filled with different schematics and different work-in-progress’ that made Bucky’s breath catch. In front of the work bench was a man jumping on his right foot as he held the other in his hands. Next to the brunet was a claw-like robot whom was beeping sadly. “DUM-E, you useless piece of shit, I’ll make you into scrap metal! Can’t even hold a tool up right,” the man muttered.

“Hey!” Bucky yelled as he trashed against the chains holding him in place. The man startled and turned towards him. Bucky was met with the most gorgeous brown eyes. The man’s beard was cut into a strange goatee that shouldn’t have worked on anyone, but Bucky couldn’t picture him without it. The man lifted his eyebrow in a challenge, before turning around and muttering something about ‘nuts n’ bolts’. “Hey! Why am I here?” Bucky tried again.

“You are here because I brought you here,” the man stated like it was obvious. He once again turned around and started digging through the ridiculous pile of paper and schematics. “JARVIS, why would he be here if I didn’t bring him here? I did bring him here right?”

“Indeed, you did, Sir,” a voice came from the ceiling and Bucky couldn’t stop the flinch. The chains rattled.

“See! I told you this was a bad idea. Look, he’s trying to break free, how adorable.” The man cooed at Bucky and he couldn’t stop the sneer.

“Yes, what had I been thinking of? I’m sure leaving him free to roam around had not been my idea,” Bucky could almost sense a tone of sarcasm in the voice. His careful eyes watched the brunet as he hopped over forgotten wires and pieces of metal and moved towards Bucky.

“J, tell me, why is he here?” And Bucky couldn’t help the scrunch of his nose. This man (well Iron Man had and brought him here) had kidnapped him. “Don’t tell me I got one of those episodes again.”

“You did, Sir,” the voice in the ceiling was apologetic. Bucky watched as the man sighed deeply.

“I thought I told you to stop me if that were the case,” the man snarled out.

“You did, but I thought that perhaps this was an allowed exception, considering how you feel.” The man flicked his gaze to the ground before it returned to Bucky.

“Okay, yeah. I guess it’s time to be a villain.” The man glanced towards a corner, where Bucky could see a camera in, “For the record, I want this marked down as your fault, J.”

“As you wish,” the voice answered back. Bucky’s face still blanched every time it talked.

“Don’t worry, that’s just JARVIS, my AI,” the man smiled softly before it turned all teeth and coldness. “So, apparently, I have kidnapped you.”

“You don’t even know that?” Bucky bit out and watched as the expressing brown eyes turned cold. He couldn’t help the shudder that raced through his body.

“I have no clue what goes on in the field. If you weren’t aware, I am a bit psychotic. And when I get a murderous episode, I tend to target you. I can’t remember shit that happened after. So, now you are my prisoner.”

“You could just let me go,” Bucky muttered.

“Yes, but where is the fun in that, Bucky-bear?” the man trailed his fingers on Bucky’s jaw line. He closed his eyes at the wonderful sensation that followed. He wasn’t supposed to feel this way about psychopaths! Bucky’s eyes snapped open.

“Who are you?” The man rolled his eyes and threw his hand towards the Iron Man armor near the doorway. _Iron Man_.

“Iron Man, if you weren’t aware of that. Also known as Tony Stark.” Tony Stark had disappeared in 2010 after he had been in Afghanistan for a weapons presentation. He’d never returned and had been declared dead just before 2011. So why was the man still here?

“You’re ‘pos to be dead.” Bucky replied lazily. Stark swiped his tongue across his lips and Bucky couldn’t help but draw his eyes to the movement.

“Yes, for four years by now. Anniversary’s coming up soon,” Stark’s smile was all pain and coldness. It seemed the whole man had turned into sharp and cutting ice. The words spoken with such casualness brought a stark contrast against the emotions in his eyes.

“Why’d you never return?”

“Ah, that is the million-dollar question,” Stark wagged his finger towards Bucky. He walked back towards his table- the chaos caused unease in Bucky. “I, myself, yet am unaware of why.” The smaller man grunted as he lifted a heavy metal plate up. He whisked the plate away, swiftly throwing it into a pile of what seemed like metal junk.

“Can I go?” Bucky tried. He’d like to get back before Steve lost his shit. The blond was a great tactician, unless it was about Bucky.

Stark whipped his head towards Bucky, “No.”

Wonderful.

 

\--<>\--

 

Stark treated Bucky better than he was expecting. He’d expected no meals or bathroom breaks, but then again, the man seemed more lost than anything. JARVIS seemed to be the only one left of Stark’s great social circle. He’d already been here for 14 days and not a single person had come. Stark seemed to forget to eat or sleep, because every time Bucky was awake the short brunet had either moved two meters or not at all from before Bucky had fallen asleep.

Ten days in and Stark had provided Bucky with a bed. The chains had remained, though this time only on one of his ankles. When he wasn’t watching, Bucky had tried tugging on the chain to break free, but it was a strong material (later Stark had informed him it was Vibranium).

At the end of the fourteenth day, Stark had started to turn into Tony. He kept up conversation and didn’t really forget about Bucky. Though he tended to forget everything around him, he’d be so intensely focused on something and suddenly he’d either snap out of it confused or burn himself and awaken from his cationic state.

17 days after his capture, Tony had risen abruptly from his seat and march right through the door without saying anything. JARVIS later informed him that the brunet had gone psychotic and had to find a way to release it. The AI kindly turned on the news that showed Iron Man in an intense battle with Captain America. By the end of it, Captain America was bleeding heavily from a wound on his side and Iron Man had a large piece missing from his left shoulder.

When Tony returned, he was walking on autopilot. The armor unwrapped itself near the work bench and the brunet slumped against his desk. His head was bleeding, and Tony was favoring his right side. Bucky’s heart clenched in fear. He’d tried to go to him, but the chain on his ankle had stopped him. JARVIS walked Tony through his medical care, and then the genius promptly passed out on the chair. Bucky had spent the entire night staring at the sleeping man.

The next morning Bucky had begged for Tony to let him have a closer look at his wounds. The man had given him a questioning look but had come closer and let the taller man examine him. The wound on his head had mostly closed- head wounds did tend to bleed much more than any other place, even if the cut was small- and the two broken ribs that Tony had Bucky had wrapped them up even more tight considering how loose they had been.

“You need to be more careful. Damn near gave me a heart attack,” Bucky had told Tony softly as he stroked through the curling brown locks. The smaller man had slumped against him in contentment.

“Didn’t think you cared,” Tony had mumbled back just before he fell asleep in Bucky’s arms.

“I care, darling.” Tony’s lips had lifted up into a ghost of a smile and that was the only movement he gave for hours. Bucky was perfectly content having the genius asleep in his arms.

 

\--<>\--

 

Bucky should have known the peace they’d found in each other wouldn’t last. Three days of cuddles and closeness later, the Avengers stormed the facility.

“JARVIS, give me eyes on everyone,” Tony commanded in a cool tone, it was cold enough to send shivers down Bucky’s spine. He’d never seen Tony act this way. He was frantic, expressionless and cold. Bucky could guess that the he was running millions of calculations in his head.

One screen showed Steve bashing through the front doors, his motorbike flying in first, then the blond. Another screen showed Natasha and Clint breaking in through the back of the facility. Bucky felt more than panicked. They’d come here to ruin Bucky and Tony. They’d take him _away_!

“Can they get in?” Bucky stood next to Tony. The genius glanced at him.

“I thought you wanted to get out?” Tony snarled out. “They can’t get in unless they plan on getting a nuke. Unless they manage to somehow lock JARVIS out.”

“Nat’s a good hacker.” Bucky supplied with an apologetic wince. The smaller man leveled him with a flat stare before his fingers were flying across the keyboard. Suddenly the room turned dark, the only light coming from above the door as an emergency light blinked brightly red. “And I don’t want to leave. I did before I knew who you really were.”

“Oh really?” Tony snipped sarcastically. “JARVIS, deploy defense mechanisms at 35%, but make it look believable.”

Bucky turned towards him and threw him a look, “Why 35%?” Tony flipped around, the speed untraceable even by his enhanced eyesight. The man had a desperate look in his eyes, and they searched Bucky’s face. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he let out a large sigh.

“Because I know you miss them. I know you didn’t want to be here at first, but now I somehow have made you enjoy being here, as my fucking prisoner,” Tony spat out harshly. “If I could have you as mine, I’d never want it to be this way. You deserve more, Bucky-bear.”

“But I _love_ you!” Bucky shouted back and Tony’s face darkened.

“That is exactly why you cannot stay with me. I’m a villain! You were never supposed to love me!”

“But I do!” Bucky took a hold of the brunet and shook him gently. He continued in a soft whisper, “I shouldn’t. I know that, but how could I not love you?” He cupped Tony’s face, delicately bringing it towards his own. Experimentally Bucky pressed his lips against Tony’s. Softly at first, but slowly growing more demanding and harsher. The smaller man responded eagerly.

At a warning noise, they both wrenched apart, and Tony strode to his table. He cursed loudly, “JARVIS, deploy the suit.”

“Tony, no!” Bucky yelled as the brunet stepped into the suit, blasted a hole in the roof and flew away. Seconds later Steve, Natasha and Clint stormed the room, shocked as they watched Bucky cry against Tony’s table, a picture of Tony on one of the many screens.

“Bucky?” Steve strode to him, quickly encasing the other super-soldier. “Thank God, you are alright.”

But he really wasn’t. Bucky had lost the man he loved, right as he had gotten him as his own. His cries grew louder, and the three other Avengers believed his tears as those of relief.

Bucky only saw Iron Man from afar after that, refusing to be apart of any battle against him. The others believed it as trauma and fear, but all Bucky could feel was love and wishes to see the man behind the armor again.

Tony didn’t ever come back to him.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow the Winteriron Collection for more fics!
> 
> I will not be continuing this. So there will be no part 2.
> 
> [ **My Tumblr** ](http://www.tumblr.com/blog/jaggedheartstrings)


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